The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Falconets

  • Women’s U- 20 World Cup: Jonathan hails Falconets

    President Goodluck  Jonathan has congratulated the under-20 female national  football team, the Falconets on their qualification for the final match of the ongoing FIFA tournament in Canada.

     

    The President applauded the Falconets’ scintillating display which earned them a 6-2 victory in Wednesday’s semi-final encounter with North Korea and their very commendable performance in earlier matches.

     

    As the Falconets prepare for the final match of the tournament against Germany on Sunday, President Jonathan urged them to put in their very best effort to win the under-20 Female World Cup for Nigeria and Africa for the first time in the history of the competition.

     

    He assured the girls and their handlers of the full support of the Federal Government and the prayers of all Nigerians for their triumph on Sunday.

     

  • Women’s U-20 World Cup: Bright Dike to cheer Falconets in final

    Women’s U-20 World Cup: Bright Dike to cheer Falconets in final

    Super Eagles striker, Bright Dike, will cheer his sister Courtney and the Falconets when Nigeria plays in the final of FIFA Women’s U-20 World Cup on Sunday, africanFootball.com reports.

    Nigeria crushed North Korea 6-2 to set up a repeat of the 2010 final against Germany, who defeated France 2-1.

    “Nigeria and @CourtneyDike just too much for Korea! I definitely have to come watch her play live in the U-20 World Cup Final,” africanFootball.com quoted a proud big Dike as saying on twitter on Thursday.

    Courtney Dike has scored two quick goals at the tournament for Nigeria including Wednesday’s opening goal against Korea DPR after just two minutes.

    The 19-year-old striker, who is under a sports scholarship in the United States, has surpassed all expectations after she was initially picked as a makeweight player for Canada 2014.

    She now holds the record for the fastest goal ever scored at this World Cup, when she fired home after 18 seconds against Korea Republic in the competition group stage.

  • Korea DPR spies on Falconets

    Korea DPR spies on Falconets

    Officials from the Democratic Republic of Korea whose team have qualified for the semi-final of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup witnessed as Nigeria demolished New Zealand 4-1 in Sunday’s quarter final in Mocton.

    Sporting Life spotted two men from the Asian country seated close to the media tribune taking down notes ahead of today’s semi-final encounter.

    The Asian champions had the time to study their opponents since it was on Saturday they played their match.

    Korea DPR, who were champions in 2006, are still in the race at the expense of defending champions USA.

    While Nigeria were unable to send a team to Montreal, venue of the Korea/USA game, it has been studying the match tape given to them by the FIFA technical group.

    Since Monday the team assembles at the meeting room inside Crown Plaza Hotel to review the game which the Asians won on penalties.

    Both teams are not strange to women’s age grade competitions since it was introduced by FIFA although Nigeria is ahead in terms of participation.

  • Rain disrupts Falconets training

    Rain disrupts Falconets training

    • We must play as a team — Dedevbo
    • Thanksgiving service held for players

    Falconets Chief Coach, Peter Dedevbo has pleaded with his girls to approach today’s semi final clash against North Korea with a collective spirit.

    Dedevbo, who gave the talk in between the team’s training session on Monday in Moncton, said the stage which the team had reached made the advice necessary.

    “We cannot afford to throw this opportunity away having gotten this far. This is history before us and we have to take it with all that we have,” he said.

    “You do not get this far only to become selfish with the ball.This is the time you have to realise that you need to play as a team,” he said.

    Dedevbo reminded the players of how the Koreans play as a collective unit which he said has been their strength.

    “From what we have seen of the Koreans, they are mobile, can’t be intimidated and are good on the counter and above all they play as a team,” he said.

    The team’s training which lasted over an hour was marred by rain for about 20 minutes. The team had to rush into the dressing room but when it subsided the players returned to the pitch. Training commenced at 3pm.

    Later in the day the team had a thanksgiving service at the Redeemed Christian Church of God, in Moncton which was to appreciate God’s role in their campaign.

    Interestingly, a clip from a film titled Wings to fly was played for the team which centred on a team that was on the verge of making history.

    The service, which was short, was attended by the Nigeria community in Moncton which is a little city in New Brunswick with a population of 100,000 people.

    The Nigeria community has been hailed by everyone for bringing life and colour to the stadium.

    Nigeria’s match is scheduled for 9pm (Nigeria time) today. The other semi final between Germany and France will be played in Montreal also today.

  • …Get American referee

    …Get American referee

    Nigeria has been handed an unlucky referee for today’s FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup semi-final fixture against Korea DPR by football governing body,FIFA.

    Referee Domka Magaret from the United States of America will be at the centre when both countries battle for a spot in the final this evening.

    The referee was also in charge when the Falconets beat Republic of Korea 2-1 at the group stage in Canada.

    Domka, a high school Spanish teacher back in her native country, was in charge when Nigeria lost in the third place match of the 2012 FIFA Women’s World Cup to host team,Japan.

    The match ended 2-1 with Nigeria’s lone goal scored by Desire Oparanozie.In the absence of Oparanozie, Nigeria’s hopes will rest on Asisat Oshoala.

    A FIFA certified referee since 2007, Domka is among the three referees selected from the USA for Canada 2014.

    Honoured by America’s women soccer body, Domka would be assisted by Chavez Mayte of Mexico while the second assistant referee, Aspinall Natale is from England.

  • Eucharia, Mabo to Falconets:No team is unbeatable

    Eucharia, Mabo to Falconets:No team is unbeatable

    • Duo warn Nigerian women against complacency

    Former Super Falcons coaches Uche Eucharia and Ismaila Mabo have charged the Falconets to approach their game with Korea DPR with focus,determination and resolve to write their names in gold like their predecessors that got to the semi-final of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup before them.

    The Falconets are playing in their third semi-final in succession in FIFA U-20 World Cup after the last two sets made it at least to this stage.

    The 2010 set went past Colombia 1-0 in the semi-final before bowing out 2-0 to hosts Germany in the final in Dresden while in the Japan 2012 edition Desire Oparanozie’s flying header against Mexico during the extra time sent the Falconets to the last four where they lost to the United States 2-0 before another 2-1 loss to Japan in the third place game.

    With another chance of a place in the final staring them in the face,Eucharia who led the Super Falcons to the African Women’s Championship(AWC) in South Africa in 2010, has admonished the Falconets to approach the game with the right frame of mind and never allow inferiority complex to set in stating that no team is unbeatable with the right tactics.

    She, however, cautioned the Falconets to guard against complacency if they scale through the hurdle called North Korea.

    “My advise to them is to be focused and don’t be complacent against North Korea. No team is unbeatable and I will urge them to play with a relaxed mind knowing fully well that some of their colleagues have gone past this stage in the past”Eucharia told SportingLife.

    Lending his support to the Falconets,Ismaila Mabo also challenged the team to go all the way to ensure that Nigeria aims at the cup this time around after the loss to Germany in the final of the 2010 edition.

  • Danagogo charges Falconets to go all the way

    As the national women U-20 team, the Falconets battle the Democratic Republic of Korea for a spot in the final of the FIFA U-20 World Cup at the Moncton Stadium in Moncton, Canada, Sports Minister/Chairman, National Sports Commission, Dr. Tammy Danagogo has charged the women to go all the way by not only reaching the final but winning the trophy for the first time.

    Danagogo, according to his Special Assistant on Media, Patrick Omorodion, believes the successes recorded by Nigerian athletes in recent times through the African Youth Games(AYC) in Botswana, the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the African Athletics Championship in Morocco will rub off on the Falconets who are doing well so far.

    “I am convinced our girls will not only qualify but will go all the way to win the cup for the first time following their performance in the competition so far. I believe the successes recorded by our athletes in recent times will rub off on the Falconets and they will also write their names in gold,” he said.

    “I urge them not to rest on their oars but build on the victories recorded from the group stage and the quarter finals to triumph and progress because they have what it takes to become world champions.”

    The Falconets take on Korea today at 9pm. and their coach, Peter Dedevbo is confident of his squad who have been able to break the quarter-finals jinx of past competitions when they competed in the U-17 category.

    “At the U-17 World Cups in 2010 and 2012, we lost in the quarter-finals. Now that jinx is broken. We’ve made it to the semi-finals. I was not scared before the game (against Korea DPR) because I know that, with the quality we have, this team would qualify.

  • FIFA U20 Women World Cup: Omeruo backs Falconets to win World Cup:

    FIFA U20 Women World Cup: Omeruo backs Falconets to win World Cup:

    Super Eagles  defender, Kenneth  Omeuro, has backed the Nigerian female Under 20 team to win the FIFA U20 Women World Cup currently ongoing in Canada.

    The Falconets dismantled Oceania representatives, New Zealand 4-1 to qualify for the semifinals courtesy a brace each from Sunday Uchechi and Asisat Oshoala while Emma Rolston got the consolation goal for New Zealand.

    The Chelsea star, who is currently on loan at Championship side Middlesbrough, also represented Nigeria at junior level before graduating to the Super Eagles where he has been a constant figure.

    “I want to congratulate the Nigerian female team for advancing to the semifinals of the FIFA U20 Women World Cup. Come on get the trophy,” he charged them via his official twitter page.

    The Falconets will play Korea DPR in Wednesday’s first semi-final match while France takes on Germany in the other semifinal. Nigeria got to the final of the Under-20 Women’s World Cup in 2010 but lost to Germany 2-0.

  • Women’s U-20 World Cup: Falconets coach happy to break Q/F jinx

    Women’s U-20 World Cup: Falconets coach happy to break Q/F jinx

    The Head coach of Nigeria U-20 Women’s national team, Peter Dedevbo, has expressed his delight with the Falconets’ 4-1 win over New Zealand in Sunday’s quarter final game of the ongoing Women’s U-20 World Cup in Canada.

    Dedevbo led the U-17 women national team to two quarter final appearances at the FIFA Women’s U-17 World Cup in Trinidad and Tobago 2010 and Azerbaijian 2012 respectively.

    But on Sunday, a brace each from Rivers Angels’ pair of Asisat Oshoala and Sunday Uchechi at the Moncton Stadium fired the Nigerians past the Oceania side into their third consecutive semi-finals at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, Goal reports.

    On the secret behind his team’s victory over New Zealand, Dedevbo told Goal that the successful execution of the extra practice on creating and converting chances aided the Falconets’ victory.

    “It means a lot to me – after taking the U-17 to the quarter-final twice – people saw it as if I was jinxed not to pass the quarter-final stages at a World Cup competition. I’m happy to have finally broken the jinx,” Dedevbo told Goal.

    “In our previous matches we created chances but failed to convert them. So the emphasis was on how many goals we can score during our training session before the game.

    “When we won our last group match to qualify to the quarter-final, the confidence in the team began to improve. And winning today the confidence is high, the character is high and everything about the team is high at the moment,” he said excitedly.

     

  • Falconets aim to lift national spirit

    Falconets aim to lift national spirit

    Nigerian football fans in the past few weeks have really had nothing to smile about. They have been miserably sandwiched in between the embarrassing soap opera of infighting unfolding between the federations managers, as well as the very public oft absurd contact negotiations with the Super Eagles current gaffer Stephen Keshi.

    Add to the fray that the Rwandans are now calling Calabar unsafe and don’t want to come here in September because of the dreaded Ebola, one can see why it’s been pretty much all gloom and doom and a lot of tsk tsking. But that has now finally ended. Because in addition to the NPFL restarting, taking place in  Canada,the U-20 Women’s World Cup has been unfolding and Nigeria’s Falconets have slowly been gathering steam and finding their form and have moved into the knock out stage.

    In as much as the games so far have given us many scores – example the 10 goal thriller between Germany and China – these goals have not been duplicated by Nigeria who  had to labour hard and often from behind and has just five goals in three games. They did’nt come for Ghana as well so despite their brilliant start the only other African team invited has headed home while Nigeria has almost played timid till poked in the eye.

    Nevertheless they are yet to lose any game so far and their come from behind grit and determination has seemingly made up for the lack of high scoring games. Granted the defensive lapses continue as with Sangonuga against England and Coach Dedevbo openly admits that the tinkering continues. He also warns that his team is just a step away from going ‘ballistic’.

    He may have more than a point there because Courtney Dike’s fastest goal in the history of FIFA women’s tournaments ever seems to have ignited the ‘birds’ attack as only the woodwork saved the Three Lionesses from sustaining more damage than the 2-1 loss.

    Well, we know that the team they next face is New Zealand who in turn flattened Costa Rica in their last game 3-0 and reached the knockout stage of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup for the first time.

    Regardless of if the goals come in droves or not, Dedevbo expects a tough game from the Kiwis and wants to give Nigerian fans and Africa something to smile about. He knows they need it and aim to deliver. The game is on Sunday at 9 pm (Nigerian time) and will be carried live on SS9.